A Warning Against Conflict

A Warning Against Conflict

Luke 12:49-53

Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

49 “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!

50 “But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is

accomplished! 51 “Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell

you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be

divided, three against two and two against three. 53 “They will be divided, father

against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against

mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother in-

law.”

Thirty years ago, my lovely bride and I became friends with a couple because our

children enjoyed playdates together. It’s been so long since we’ve seen them that I can’t

even recall their names. What happened to that relationship? I was called into pastoral

ministry to serve our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I knew this couple wasn’t

particularly religious, but one day while we were spending time together, I shared that

I was leaving my full-time job in the computer field to attend seminary. Furthermore, I

had the hope of eventually pastoring a church. That was the last time we ever heard

from them. They stopped answering our calls, and even the children were no longer

allowed to see each other.

This is a modern-day example of what Jesus spoke about in Luke 12:49–53. He warned

that division would come—even within households—because of him. Fathers and

sons, mothers and daughters would find themselves at odds, simply because one or

more chose to follow Jesus and become part of the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s

heartbreaking that, even 2,000 years later, these words still ring true. I hadn’t changed

in any way except that I gave my heart to Christ and committed to doing his work. That

shouldn’t have affected our relationship with that couple—but it did, and it saddened

me deeply. Then I read Luke 12 again and began to understand why.

In verse 49, Jesus says, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth.” Some interpret this literally,

imagining the world engulfed in flames. But this is a Semitic expression, meaning that

Jesus would bring disruption and challenge. It seems contradictory for a man of peace

to bring trouble. When I studied this passage in seminary, we were taught that Jesus’

coming would indeed stir conflict—but it was difficult to reconcile that with his

peaceful nature.

Looking back at the Hebrew Scriptures, we see that the prophets often brought similar

messages. Some called people to live together in harmony for the sake of God’s mission

on earth. Others confronted leaders, challenging their actions and decisions. Even in

Jesus’ time, John the Baptist boldly told Herod that marrying his brother’s wife was

wrong. We’d likely agree with that today. What happened to John? He was imprisoned

and eventually executed.

John preached the good news of the coming Kingdom of God through the Messiah,

Jesus and for that, he was killed. Jesus himself preached peace, love, and the

transformative power of God’s Kingdom. And he, too, was killed. The man of peace

was rejected by a violent world that preferred hatred and division over love and

reconciliation.

It’s tragic and it’s still happening today. What saddens me most is seeing division within

the Church itself. Denominations have formed because we couldn’t find peace with one

another. Occasionally, we even learn to hate each other over theological differences.

That’s the truly heartbreaking part.

At one of my church assignments, I heard a story about a tree in a baseball field. The

church owned property across the street, which they turned into a field during the Great

Depression. The congregation was large enough to comprise several teams, and they

played games after Sunday services. But some members believed playing baseball on

the Lord’s Day was wrong. Despite this disagreement, the church remained united—at

least for a time.

The conflict centered around a tree in center field. Players occasionally ran into it or

had balls deflected by it, disrupting the game. The baseball group sought removal, while

opponents wanted the tree kept deterring Sunday games. Eventually, the players took

matters into their hands and cut down the tree. What followed was chaos shouting,

division, and ultimately, a split. The anti-baseball group formed a new church just half

a mile away. So, was it Jesus who brought the trouble—or did people bring it upon

themselves?

The answer is clear: Jesus didn’t cause the trouble, but he did warn us about it in Luke

12. One group interpreted his words to mean baseball was acceptable on Sundays; the

other believed it was forbidden. I’ve seen similar situations—like when a church

debated a building addition. One side claimed God said “no,” while the other insisted